Random Diseases Affect Men More Than Women (12 items)

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  (#6) Heart Disease

  Though heart disease is the number one cause of death for both sexes, men can get heart disease much earlier than women can; the scales tip around age 55.

  Some say it's stress-related, as men may not have ways to express stress like women feel comfortable doing. Abdominal fat is also linked to heart disease; though obesity in general is linked to heart disease, abdominal fat is particularly dangerous for men. 

  One 2008 study indicated that hormones could make men more predisposed to heart disease at a young age; higher estrogen levels in men were associated with the bad type of cholesterol (the reverse also proved true, that low estrogen levels were linked with the good type of cholesterol). So, a man could be at an increased risk for heart disease well before any symptoms show up. 
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  (#2) Parkinson's disease

  • Drooling, Hypomimia, Tremor, Hallucination, Akathisia, Akinesia, Weight loss, Intestinal pseudo-obstruction, Urinary incontinence, Loss of smell, Dementia, Nocturia, Ataxia, Postural instability, Gait abnormality, Micrographia, Dysphagia, Seborrheic dermatitis, Amnesia, Fatigue, Bradykinesia, Balance disorder, Dystonia, Somnolence, Constipation

  Though it's unclear what causes Parkinson's disease - characterized by slow movements, shakiness, and stiff muscles which are caused by low dopamine levels in the brain - it is clear men are 1.5 times more likely than women to develop the condition. 

  There are several theories as to why this is. The male sex itself could be to blame, or men could get more head injuries or work with more toxic chemicals, both of which could possibly lead to Parkinson's. Some postulate that estrogen protects a woman's nervous system. 

  One study from UCLA showed a connection between a sex gene called SRY (the one responsible for making an embryo male) is from the same part of the brain that Parkinson's disease targets. Women do not have the SRY gene. 
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  (#7) Lung cancer

  • Nail clubbing, Dyspnea, Cachexia, Dysphagia, Fatigue, Hemoptysis, Dysphonia, Wheeze, Cough, Chest pain

  In 2018, there were about 10,000 more men than women who were diagnosed with lung cancer, and about 15,000 more men died from it. A man has a one in 15 chance of getting lung cancer, whereas a woman has a one in 17 chance. Smoking increases the risk for both sexes. 

  About 90% of men who get lung cancer have formerly or are currently smoking, whereas this is true for only about 80% of women who get lung cancer. Likewise, the survival rate for men is lower than it is for women. Black men are 20% more likely than white men to get lung cancer. 

  But why is lung cancer more deadly for men? It could be related to lifestyle factors, but women can have the same unhealthy habits as a man and still not be as susceptible.

  Some experts suspect this sad statistic could simply be because men are more apt to ignore health problems than women. David Foreman, information lead of the National Cancer Intelligence Network, said,  "Men have a reputation for having a 'stiff upper lip' and not being as health-conscious as women." 
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  (#12) Flu

  If you're a woman who is with a man, it's completely possible you think he overreacts whenever he's sick. Somehow, a common cold becomes a life-or-death situation. 

  However, "man flu" may actually be a real thing. Men are more susceptible to respiratory problems in general, and their immune systems could be weaker than women's; estrogen protects the immune system and testosterone actually suppresses it. It's also possible women respond better to vaccines.
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  (#3) Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

  • Hyperreflexia, Fasciculation, Slurred Speech, Dysphagia, Spasticity, Dysarthria, Muscle weakness, Monomelic amyotrophy, Muscle Spasms, Muscle atrophy, Weight loss

  Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), colloquially known as Lou Gehrig's Disease, is a degenerative condition that affects nerves in the brain and spinal cord. Eventually, people with ALS lose the ability to control their muscles voluntarily.

  There is no cure or way to slow ALS, and 15 people are diagnosed with it every day. Roughly 60% of those suffer from ALS are men, and ALS is 20% more common in men than in women. No one has any idea why more men than women get ALS, nor do we have any idea why military veterans (particularly those who fought during the Gulf War) are twice as likely to get the disease. 

  ALS is also the same disease Stephen Hawking had. Hawking was the exception and not the rule when it comes to surviving ALS, however. When ALS begins, most people die within three years. Only 5% will live 20 years or more. Hawking survived with the disease for 55 years and passed away on March 14, 2018, at the age of 76.
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  (#1) Cancer

  • cerebella tumor, Medulloblastoma

  Men get the short end of the stick when it comes to the big C. Not only are men more prone to certain cancers, like lung cancer, they are also more likely to die from cancer than women.

  Men have a 40% chance of getting any sort of cancer (that's one in every three men), and they a 22% chance of dying from it. Women have slightly lower risks; they have a 38% chance of getting cancer and 19% chance of dying from it.

  Other than obvious differences in diagnoses (breast, testicular, prostate, ovarian, cervical, and uterine cancers), the main discrepancies include bladder (about three times more likely in men), kidney (about twice as likely in men), liver (about twice as likely in men), and oral (about twice as likely in men). 

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